Bhubaneswar: Odisha held a high-level review meeting on Wednesday to advance its proposed Green Hydrogen Mobility Project, bringing together key stakeholders to iron out operational, financial and regulatory details of what could become the state's first hydrogen-powered public transport system.
Chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Housing & Urban Development) Usha Padhee, the meeting reviewed progress since NTPC, GRIDCO and CRUT signed a tripartite MoU to jointly pursue the initiative. The project envisages a Green Hydrogen Production and Refuelling Facility at CRUT's Pokhariput Depot in Bhubaneswar and the deployment of three hydrogen fuel cell electric buses as a pilot.
The facility is designed to produce around 260 kg of green hydrogen daily, enabling buses to cover up to 600 km per day. Environmentally, the project is expected to eliminate tailpipe emissions and cut nearly 900 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Total capital investment is pegged at Rs 53.55 crore, with Rs 19.52 crore already sanctioned under the Union government's National Green Hydrogen Mission through the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Officials reviewed route planning, revenue-sharing and risk allocation, with CRUT's concerns over operational expenditure and kilometre commitments discussed at length. Initial deployment is proposed along the Bhubaneswar-Cuttack-Khurda-Puri-Konark corridor.
Padhee said the project could position Odisha among states leading next-generation clean mobility and directed all agencies to resolve pending issues expeditiously.
CRUT Managing Director Md Siddique Alam and senior officials from NTPC, GRIDCO and IPICOL attended the meeting.